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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/elite-dangerous-has-no-offline-mode-for-story-reasons/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/elite-dangerous-has-no-offline-mode-for-story-reasons/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/elite-dangerous-has-no-offline-mode-for-story-reasons/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsFrontier Developments head honcho David Braben has been working overtime to defend the 11th-hour revelation that Elite: Dangerous will have no offline play option. A recent video interview with Braben includes his response to these issues; he states that it's not off the table, but it's incompatible with the way that the game handles storytelling. The game world is meant to change over time based on player actions, and it wasn't as functional without players being affected by each another.

Braben explains that the game's missions are generated in part by aggregates of player activity; if a majority of players choose to support a rebel faction on a given planet, for example, then that faction becomes more powerful, and the nature of missions related to those rebels changes. Keeping the game online ensures that these changes can be reflected in gameplay, making the experience more dynamic and engaging. The full interview also covers the details of beta testing and control setups, if you're not as interested in the fine details of staying online while playing in single-player mode.

PC Gamer
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betabetasdangerousdavid-brabeneliteelite-dangerousfrontierfrontier-developmentsinternet-spaceshipinterviewinterviewskickstarternewsnews-itemsofflineoffline-playonlineonline-playsandboxsci-fispacespaceshipsMon, 15 Dec 2014 13:00:00 -0500319|21116249http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/11/18/braben-clarifies-elite-dangerous-lacking-an-offline-mode/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/11/18/braben-clarifies-elite-dangerous-lacking-an-offline-mode/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/11/18/braben-clarifies-elite-dangerous-lacking-an-offline-mode/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
When fans were told that Elite: Dangerouswill not feature an offline mode, they were a little upset, considering it had been one of the explicit promises made during the game's Kickstarter campaign. Head honcho David Braben took the opportunity to clarify the situation, promising that while the game will not have any sort of offline play offered now or (likely) in the future, there will still be single-player options. You'll just have to be online to play them.

Braben defended the decision as a fundamental creative decision, an attempt to deliver the best possible version of the game rather than an inferior offline experience. However, Braben also admitted that the team should have communicated more openly with players regarding the state of the offline version of the game. He also said that individual requests for refunds by anyone dissatisfied by this change are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Elite: Dangerous is still on track for an official release on December 18th.

Eurogamer
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dangerousdavid-brabeneliteelite-dangerousfrontierfrontier-developmentsinternet-spaceshipkickstarterkickstarter-promisesnewsnews-itemsofflineoffline-playsandboxsci-fispacespaceshipsTue, 18 Nov 2014 14:30:00 -0500319|20995509http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/not-so-massively-pax-east-2013-d3-on-ps3-and-firefalls-tv-ch/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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A demo of Diablo III running on the PS3 was shown at PAX East 2013 this week, and developers confirmed that the game is not necessarily exclusive to Sony. Many PC players have been enraged by the demo, which showed improved loot and singleplayer features developers had previously said were not possible. Red 5 Studios was also at PAX this week to reveal its ambitious plans for a gaming TV channel. The studio plans to expand its gaming video channel Stage 5 with several new high-quality shows about indie games, cosplay, and gaming tropes. Path of Exile also released information on three completely overpowered new support gems currently in alpha testing for its upcoming Patch 0.10.5.

In MOBA news, League of Legends officially launched in Italy this week with a huge launch ceremony in Rome. Several professional players were unrelatedly banned for boosting other players' stats artificially, and one team was given its final warning for using a DDoS attack during a match. Heroes of Newerth received new melee strength hero Prisoner 945, and Guardians of Middle-Earth released a free map update along with a purchasable spider character DLC. Upcoming MOBA SMITE was given a loose launch window of summer 2013, and Russian MOBA Prime World took a big step toward European and US launches with the translation of much of its Russian website into English.

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action-mmoaction-rpgbanbansbattlenetblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcheatcheatingclassic-mmocompetitive-gamingconsolecosplaycrystal-grazianod3ddosdiablodiablo-2diablo-3diablo-iidiablo-iiidosdotae-sporte-sportsesportesportsf2pfantasyfeaturedfpsfree-to-playgame-changersgood-game-universitygothic-fantasygrinding-geargrinding-gear-gamesguardians-of-middle-earthheroes-of-newerthhonitalianitalyleague-of-legendslollord-of-the-ringslotrmeleemiddle-earthmirkwoodmmofpsmobamonolithmonolith-studiosmultiplayernewsnivalnot-so-massivelynsmofflineoffline-modeoffline-playonline-multiplayerpath-of-exilepaxpax-eastPAX-East-2013planetsideplaystation-networkpoeprime-worldPrisonerPrisoner-945Prisoner945project-cosplaypsps1ps3psnpvevppvpreal-money-auction-housered-5-studiosriotriot-gamesrise-of-the-indiesrmahround-uprounduprpgs2s2-gamessci-fishackledsingleplayersoesony-online-entertainmentspiderstage-5steve-wangUnglobvideowarner-brosxboxxbox-360xbox-livexbox360Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:00:00 -0400319|20515922http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/ask-massively-im-very-sorry-about-the-events-of-last-friday-ed/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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I do not think of myself as an overly proud man, and as a result I would like to apologize to my neighbors, the local fire department, the men and women of the FBI, and the ACLU for my actions on Friday, July 8th. You may not have heard about it, but per the advice of my attorney I will decline to go into details. Just know that I am extremely sorry, that I had no idea the chinchillas were rabid, that several of the motor vehicles involved in the incident were in fact made in the United States, and I really thought the wall would hold.

Assuming we can put all of this behind us, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively, in which we take on the question of why we can't just play an MMO offline whenever the urge strikes us. If you have a question that doesn't involve the incident mentioned above, mail it off to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below.

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ask-massivelydevelopmentfeaturedforumsofflineoffline-modeoffline-playopinionThu, 14 Jul 2011 09:00:00 -0400319|19987635http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/the-daily-grind-whats-the-threshold-for-an-mmo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/the-daily-grind-whats-the-threshold-for-an-mmo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/the-daily-grind-whats-the-threshold-for-an-mmo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
This question is an old one, but it's always one that brings out some interesting opinions. As technology becomes more and more connected, people continue to move their games into connectivity further and further, we have to ask -- what's an MMO, precisely? The recent release of Borderlands has brought the question into the forefront for many people, as it features a rather steady and all but required online mode... but it's not absolutely required, and there's no world persistence. Does that qualify, or is it just an offline game with some MMO elements?

You can certainly argue that they're only distantly related, or you can argue that they're both part of the same genre. By the same token, you can make the case for or against the now-ubiquitous Facebook games -- which are persistent and spread across several players, after all. Today, we ask our readers where they draw the line between MMO and a game that just happens to have an online component. Where do you draw the line, and if you're so inclined, what's your reasoning? Persistence of world? Depth of play? Or is it a knee-jerk reaction where you might not be able to define an MMO, but you know it when you see it?